Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-10-10
THE KNIGHTS, CONVENTION.
Well ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the stand.
ard Oil MISREPRESENTATION with the
Church.

Church.
The Knights OF Labor general assembly ad-
Journed over from Saturday noon to this morning
in order to allow time for necessary committee
work. special from Minneapolis to the Phila-
delpha Press says: SAT least four days time has
been gained up to this point over last years ses
sion OF the general assembly at Richmond, and the
opinion Is current that this convention VIII be able
to adjourn finally by next Saturday. The admin
istration party is now admitted to have obtained
the upper hand In most questions of dispute and
Will probably keep 1t. whether the general as
sembly shall adjourn the occasion Of the visit
OF the President and Mrs. Cleveland to Minneap-
oils will probably be decided on Monday"
CONSPIRACY LAWS AND THE OIL MONOPOLY.
At Saturday mornings session Of the gen.
eral assembly, Luther B. Noyes report on con-
spiracy laws brought on q lively discussion, in
which Messrs Ltchman and O'Rielly bitterly de-
nounced the existing statutes, In that they Oper-
ated in the interest OF monOpOlies and corpora
classes Secretary Litchman OF Massachusetts,
said that Jay Gould had grown so powerful that
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad telegraph lines, and
II he saw fit he could defeat any laws legislation
passed by the senate of any State in the country
ThOS. II. Lowry presented an appeal on the
operations OF the Standard OIL monopoly from the
Knights OF Labor Cooperative Oil Refining CO.
The appeal declares that the monopoly will, unless
some system OF restraint can be adopted, own or
control in twenty years three-fourths Of all the
railroads and manufacturing enterprises in the
United States. In fact, they now control legisla-
tlon In several States regarding the transportation
OF Oil
An important communication was telegraphed
by the general assembly Saturday afternoon to
secretary Lamar, Of the Interior Department at
Washington, drawn up by j. s. Sovereign, OF the
tber eycons 9 fsS Sro agnst any
lands In the State of Iowa.
PowDERLY's LETTER ON THE CHURCH.
Mr.. POwderly's letter on the relations OF the
Church and the Knights was completed yesterday,
and will be presented to the General Assembly to-
day. The following are leading points from the
letter: I'm the Month OF october OF last year Car
.dinal Gibbons called the archbSh0pS of America
together to discuss serious matters appertaining
TO the Church in this country the principal among
these being the relationship OF the order OF the
knights OF Labor with secret societies. Protest
ants and Catholics became deeply interested in
the attitude which these twelve powerful prelates,
who are at the head OF the American hierarchy,
would take with reference to the labor problem.
authorities that the Knights were seeking to
revoutionize generally accepted fundamental
principles by claiming for labor the right to die
tate TO capital, and in this manner were seeking
to bring into full force popular sovereignty in OPP
position to private rights; that they were follow
Ing the example OF the French socialists and arro-
eating TO themselves the rights OF orderly strikes
whenever 1t suited their purpose, and by these.
strikes cause the loss OF life and the destruction Or
private property, and that should the order pros
per, with its pernclOuS principles 1t would newt
ably lead its members and the working classes
generally from insubordnation to anarchy and
Labor were ever to prevail among the people
faith and religion would be forever destroyed in
Our country. Thus spoke the enemies OF organized
labor"
He then relates the history Of his visit with Jno.
w. Hayes and ThOS. O'Re1lly to Baltimore to con-
suit with Cardinal Gibbons relative to the order
and its relations to the church Liberal extracts
given OF the cardinals views secret societies
and anarchism: "His eminence intmated to your
committee his intended journey to Rome. prom
ised TO explain the purposes Of the organization at
the vatican, and requested permission to pledge
the order to maintenance OF lawful and orderly
behavior. How this prince OF the church fulfilled
his covenant made with us, and how he CHAM
pioned our cause In the Eternal CITY, we know fun
WE'LL and the expression Of ponti1cal good will for
| the order OF Knights OF Labor, which came to us
last March, was due solely TO the earnest and in
telllgent advocacy OF our cause by Cardinal Glib
bons. His eminence knew we'll how to express
and communicate the impulses OF his own inspired
soul, and our grateful ana profound thanks are
due to him for the extraordinary favors he has
bestowed upon our order in Over1owing measures"
In his report TO the propaganda his eminence
said: "In submitting to the holy see the conclu-
sionS which, after several months Of observation
and deep reflection, seem to me to sum up the
question of the association OF the Knights of Labor
the question which forms but one ring In the great
chain OF the social problems OF our day and espe-
cially OF our country The order is not hostile to
religion. We have not found in the constitution,
bylaws, and Official declaration The elements
which the holy SEE so clearly indicates as con-
demnatOry, and the formula of the organization
contains neither oath nor obligation which pre-
cludeS those who do not belong TO IL from becom-
Ing acquainted with their affairs This has been
specially explained TO us by the principal officers.
No promise OF blind obedience is required Not
only their objects and their rules are not hostile
TO religion or the church. but the very contrary"
"'The general master workman, In sending me
copy OF The constitution took occasion to request
with hlial submission, that Che pastors OF the
church examine all the details of their body and
| faithfully promised that, II they found therein
anything reprehensible, to point it out, and he
would recommend that the proper notifications
Gp hos
tility toward the authority OF the church, but on
the contrary 1t is perfectly laudable spirit. After
| GERS made the same declaration, defining their
sentiments. Not only their constitution and regu-
lations contain nothing OF the Sort. but the heads
or our civil authorities treat them and the cause
they represent with the greatest respect.
THE PRESIDENT AND THE LABOR QUESTION.
"'The President OF the United States told me
personally but short time ago that he had then
under consideration law tending to remedy Ger
tain social grievances and that he had just had a
conference with Mr.. Powderly, the general master
workman OF the knights OF Labor. The Congress
OF the United States, following the advice OF the
President. is now considering measures tending to
| aneliOrate the condition OF the working class.
| The foundation OF many OF these complaints Is
| openly acknowledged, and the political parties,
| far from looking upon them as enemies OF the
! country, vie with each other to obtain for them
the rights they are so clearly entitled TO- it is
TACT we'll known that the poor IoilerS have no in
cilnatlOn TO resist break the laws OF the land
but simply to obtain equitable legislation by con-
| stitAtional and legitimate means. The working
man has the right To organize for his own protec-
tion and 1t is the duty Of the public at large TO
aid him In finding a remedy against the danger
when civilization and social order are menaced by
| ayarlce, oppression and corruption.
The Presidents Chicago Reception.
| LIVELY SCENES DESCRIBED IN THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
| What was unquestionably the most amusing in
cident OF the afternoon transpred when the recep-
| tion was about half over. A wel-dresseu woman
came along the lire with determination to get a